Often when travelling we worry about whether we will be able to communicate with others.
When travelling to countries where a different language is spoken, e.g. from England to Spain, we may worry about whether we will be able to get the message across and understand what others are saying.
When immigrating to countries where a different language is spoken , we may worry about how long it will take us to learn and communicate with others fluently.
When travelling to countries or even within where the same language is spoken but with different accents or with different slang, e.g. from Scotland to American or from London to Manchester in England, we may worry about whether others may understand our accents or slang.
Yet do we really need to know several languages to communicate in our travels?
Being a world traveller, I also often visit other countries as as an outsider where I do not know the local language
Having immigrated to different countries, I have had the experience and troubles of understanding the language but not knowing the colloquial languages, customs and slangs
Perhaps most difficult, having moved to Australia at the age of 5, I am by no means a fluent speaker of Chinese despite my Chinese looks and often have trouble communicating with other Chinese and even my own parents and family, in contrast to expectations.
4) Know what you want & be flexible. To communicate, you need to build a relationship so learn what you need to adapt and build rapport with that individual
When travelling to countries where a different language is spoken, e.g. from England to Spain, we may worry about whether we will be able to get the message across and understand what others are saying.
When immigrating to countries where a different language is spoken , we may worry about how long it will take us to learn and communicate with others fluently.
When travelling to countries or even within where the same language is spoken but with different accents or with different slang, e.g. from Scotland to American or from London to Manchester in England, we may worry about whether others may understand our accents or slang.
Yet do we really need to know several languages to communicate in our travels?
Being a world traveller, I also often visit other countries as as an outsider where I do not know the local language
Having immigrated to different countries, I have had the experience and troubles of understanding the language but not knowing the colloquial languages, customs and slangs
Perhaps most difficult, having moved to Australia at the age of 5, I am by no means a fluent speaker of Chinese despite my Chinese looks and often have trouble communicating with other Chinese and even my own parents and family, in contrast to expectations.
However, it is from experience that we do not need to know all the languages to communicate. All you really need is:
1) Focus on the response to discover whether the message has been communicated as intended - the meaning of the communication is in the response you get
2) Use different means you have to communicate including language, body language, gestures, facial expressions and use linkage, associations and metaphors - you cannot not communicate
3) To test with trial and error to test what works and make changes to be flexible if it doesn't - if it doesn't work and you do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got
4) Know what you want & be flexible. To communicate, you need to build a relationship so learn what you need to adapt and build rapport with that individual
On my travels, I had one of the most memorable experiences on an overnight train journey with an individual I met who was part French, part Spanish and part Mauritian. Despite neither of us being fluent in a common language, we spent that night communicating, bonding and eventually becoming friends simply through the conversations we had using the few common words we knew in English and Spanish and through hand gestures and drawings on a notepad.
In Hong Kong, whilst not being able to speak fluent Chinese of a high level, I was able to use what many international school kids refer to as Chinglish, communicating fluently in a combination of Chinese and English (although trial and error has discovered this often confuses my parents who, less fluent in Chinglish, do not always know which part of which sentence is Chinese or English)
It is also by adapting to the local language of the places I am in that I have lost the Aussie accent I once had and now speak with the more neutral accent understandable by most. I have learnt the British slang and colloquialisms such 'wicked' as opposed to 'cool', 'loads' as opposed to 'heaps', and 'pants' as opposed to 'underwear' that I am able to communicate. It is also only with flexibility that I now fully understand my partner who speaks with Yorkshire accent and terms used only up North. We can all adapt and be flexible.
And in my travels overseas, even if I have no plans to learn the local language, I always learn the key words to build connection with those there even if it is just learning to say 'Thank You', to learn the number of cheek kisses used locally in greeting one another, or displaying the universal smile communication of friendship of course!
And in my travels overseas, even if I have no plans to learn the local language, I always learn the key words to build connection with those there even if it is just learning to say 'Thank You', to learn the number of cheek kisses used locally in greeting one another, or displaying the universal smile communication of friendship of course!
Do you have troubles and worries about communicating with others from other countries or in your travels?
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